Thriving amid turbulence: Growth without compromise

Connected Life

Vendors will increasingly focus on retaining users and boosting spending within their ecosystems.

“Leading smart device vendors are creating robust ecosystems that prioritize scalability and interoperability to support ecosystem driven features, enhancing user retention and attachment rates.”

Jason Low, Research Director, Connected Life

Leading smart device vendors are creating robust ecosystems that prioritize scalability and interoperability, enhancing user retention and attachment rates. As these companies innovate with ecosystem-driven features, they are introducing new device categories, such as AI glasses, to improve digital lifestyles.

This research is taken from:

Connected Life Horizon Service

Games

Hunting for growth in a troubled landscape

"The games landscape is characterized by a hunt for growth after Covid highs created unrealistic expectations. Now more than ever, understanding the business models and strategies of the games industry will have a transformative effect on the fortunes of all stakeholders."

Dom Tait, Research Director, Interactive Entertainment

The games market is settling after reeling from post-COVID adjustment, but a fundamental issue remains: Ski-ramp growth now seems all but impossible, thanks to addressable markets stagnating and user spend coming under various macro-economic pressures. Where could growth come from? What will the next ten years look like? In music, where is the superfan subscription tier.

Subscription rates in all developed music markets are slowing and although price rises have boosted revenue, it is the long-anticipated superfan tier that should keep income on the up. The big question is when are services going to introduce this, and how many subscribers will the new tier attract.

This research is taken from:

Media and Entertainment

The convergence of commerce and content: Retail media's transformation of the advertising landscape

"Advertising has never been more important to the future of media & entertainment. The convergence of traditional and social media, AI-infused ad tech, and commerce will drastically alter media's competitive landscape."

Matthew Bailey, Senior Principal Analyst, Advertising

Connected TV has become the central battleground where retail media, traditional advertising, and direct commerce converge, creating unprecedented monetization opportunities. The most successful media companies will be those that effectively blend entertainment with seamless shopping experiences, turning passive viewers into active consumers. This transformation is being accelerated by generative and agentic AI, which dramatically reduces barriers to video ad creation while streamlining the path to purchase across media platforms.

This research is taken from:

Advertising Intelligence Service

PC and Smartphone

Tariff-driven supply chain restructuring – risks and opportunities

"As production and market strategies evolve to meet rising global uncertainties, device vendors must forge transformative partnerships—spanning content creators, digital platforms, and trailblazing AI startups—to unlock new value, spark innovation, and shape tomorrow’s tech ecosystem."

Amber Liu, Practice Leader, Smartphone

US tariff policy uncertainties are accelerating the “China + N” strategy, prompting consumer electronics vendors to diversify production to India and Southeast Asia. This creates opportunities for local suppliers but also adds operational complexity. Vendors must quickly assess manufacturing base, partnership and resource allocation to balance geopolitical risks with rising costs. Key questions include: Which emerging markets offer the most scalable production and supply capabilities? How can OEMs maintain product quality and supply stability while diversifying?

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